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Pregnancy

Heartburn -- done to death, I'm sure, but HELP!

58 replies

TobyLerone · 27/09/2013 09:07

Gaviscon makes me boak, even the tablets.

I don't drink milk, but only because it's disgusting, not because I'm intolerant or anything.

Standard Rennies are the only thing which doesn't make me heave, and they do take the edge off for a few minutes. I'm waking up in the night with basically a mouthful of acid. My GP won't give me omeprazole or ranitidine.

What can I do?! I have googled and every site which promises 'remedies' actually gives 'ways to stop getting heartburn' instead. I know not to eat big meals late at night, not to bend over/lie down, to avoid spicy food/citrus/greasy stuff etc. But REMEDIES are what I need!

What's your secret? Ice cream? Apples? Sacrificing the cat by a full moon?

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Report

MisselthwaiteManor · 27/09/2013 09:13

I had these chalky tablets but they're probably the same as Rennies. I think they were calcium carbonate.

Yogurt helped soothe my throat but dairy makes it worse so was probably creating a cycle. Eating dry bread and sipping water constantly also helped a bit. Propped myself up on a heap of pillows at night but it didn't make a huge difference.

TobyLerone · 27/09/2013 09:17

I've heard that dairy makes it worse, even though most people swear by it for helping.

Even water gives me heartburn! Waaaaah :(

I've tried the pillows but it's really uncomfortable.

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Sunshine200 · 27/09/2013 09:21

Is there nothing else the doctor can prescribe? I got something that wasn't omeprazole or ranitidine, can't remember what it was called but it worked a treat. I kept it by my bed and often tucked into it in the early hours of the morning!

TobyLerone · 27/09/2013 09:24

I asked. They said no. Take Rennies, drink milk, use extra pillows blah blah blah.

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sleepcrisis · 27/09/2013 09:26

I'm suffering terribly with it and I'm on 20 mg omeprazole, bottle loads of gaviscon and remegels after every snack! I'm surprised your GP won't prescribe omeprazole.

Things I have found to help are (and I'm sorry they're not really remedies): drinking a really really hot drink (peppermint tea for me) as soon as I finish eating, it seems to help the food go down and get digested quicker.

Not eating dairy

Sitting upright on a hard chair for at least an hour after eating - no lounging around on the sofa :(

Gaviscon really does help, but I often gag while I'm trying to drink it. Its truly hideous isn't it.

Have you tried remegel? Its not got as many ingredients so its not nearly as effective as gaviscon but at least they're chewy and far easier to take.

If I were you I'd go to a different GP and ask for the omeprazole. I've had it prescribed no problems in two different pg by three different GPs.

curlywurlyllass · 27/09/2013 09:30

Flavoured milk(shakes) help me stave it off for a while and are now quite nice i was a milk hater till a few months ago
And orange rennies more like a sweety than medicine -or so ive managed to convince myself! But theres only so many u can have a day :(

Grrr@ your gp! When i grumbled to a midwife i was told its part of pregnancy and theres nothing that can b done. lies!!!
Is there another gp u can see for a second opinion?

TobyLerone · 27/09/2013 09:39

I had gastritis pre-pregnancy and was on omeprazole daily for that. When I got pregnant, 2 different GPs told me not to take it any more. I have since seen a 3rd GP who agrees that I shouldn't take it. Nor ranitidine. He looked them up in his BNF and said they're one of the many, many useful drugs that they haven't properly tested on pregnant women and therefore aren't recommended.

I haven't tried Remegels. I will find some and give them a try, thank you :)

Hi curly :o
I was actually thinking of making a milkshake later with banana and maybe a bit of ice cream. Pretty sure I could manage that, even with my hatred of milk!

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roofio87 · 27/09/2013 09:55

I'm another one who was happily given omeprezole by my gp, he said pg women have been taking it for the last 30 years with no problems. im suprised they won't give it you!! I'd suggest trying again (sorry, not got much more advive I'm afraid!)

TobyLerone · 27/09/2013 09:58

Good. I'm glad they gave it to you.

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sleepcrisis · 27/09/2013 10:20

You can buy both omeprazole and ranitidine over the counter, no?

TobyLerone · 27/09/2013 10:22

I know. But if my doctor won't prescribe them, I'd prefer not to.

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sleepcrisis · 27/09/2013 10:24

Speak to a pharmacist, they seem to me to be far more knowledgable about drugs than GPs. If you search online you'll see that it really is very widely prescribed in pg.

TobyLerone · 27/09/2013 10:29

I really am aware of that. Honestly I am. And I appreciate the advice. I'm glad so many people are prescribed it. But if my 3 GPs won't prescribe it, I'm pretty sure that no pharmacist worth their qualifications will go against that. And I am prepared to listen, given that I have no medical training of my own.

Thanks, all. I have a few ideas from this.

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Artisticme · 27/09/2013 10:57

Have you tried Zantac? It's ranitidine you can buy over the counter but about have the dose of prescription. Doesn't take it away completely but I take one in the morning and one at night and it's definatley calms it a bit. :)

mycatlikestwiglets · 27/09/2013 10:58

Just to say (although I appreciate you aren't keen on the omeprazole etc. route anyway) that if you can't get a prescription, it's unlikely that a pharmacist will dispense to you if you're obviously pregnant. I am currently somewhat indignant about this approach after being told this morning that I can't be sold eyedrops over the counter because "we aren't licensed to dispense during pregnancy". I should have realised as soon as they asked if they were for me but it didn't occur to me that anyone would consider something which goes on my eyeball to be potentially harmful to my 36 week foetus .

Anyway, back on thread, I've found the Rennie extra "ice" to be good OP - better than the standard Rennies.

TobyLerone · 27/09/2013 11:07

I tried them too, mycat. They also made me heave. Maybe I am pathetic, but it was the fact that they foamed a bit in my mouth!

You're right about the pharmacists. They wouldn't even sell me Buttercup syrup the other week.

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doobeedee · 27/09/2013 11:32

Is there a specific reason for them not giving you the pills? I just bought my ranitidine from the supermarket. If there's no specific reason, just go and buy some.

doobeedee · 27/09/2013 11:34

Oh and about pharmacists not wanting to despense it, they sell it everywhere. Supermarkets, Wilkinsons, even Home Bargins!

TobyLerone · 27/09/2013 11:37

I did say in a previous post. He looked in his BNF and said they were part of the set of medications which have not been sufficiently tested on pregnant women. Many medications are the same, because obviously they can't test on pregnant women. So they may well cause no problems in people who take them, but they're not recommended for use in pregnancy because they don't know. Everyone has an anecdote about how they took [whatever] in pregnancy and it didn't do them any harm, but in the absence of any medical training of my own, I'm going to have to take the word of my GPs.

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doobeedee · 27/09/2013 11:40

Sorry. I didn't read the whole thread before posting. I think you're just going to have to put up with it then. Nothing else works for me either. Gaviscon doesn't even do anything.

froubylou · 27/09/2013 11:41

I know how you feel re not wanting to buy something the docs have said no to. Had the same issue in the summer with piriton. Eventually I managed to get my midwife to speak to the consultant at the hospital who said she would prescribe piriton in my situation so I happily went and bought some.

You have 3 choices really I think. Either suffer with the heartburn, boak whilst doing the Gaviscon or buy Omeprazole over the counter.

Would giving yourself a dose of Gaviscon in a syringe be any less boak making for you? If its just the texture of it in your mouth (I hate it too) if you get a calpol syringe and squirt it straight down your throat you shouldn't actually feel that much in your mouth IYSWIM.

TobyLerone · 27/09/2013 11:45

Ooooh, that's not a bad idea, frouby! I think it is the texture. It's worth a try!

I made a banana milkshake about 20 minutes ago and it's been the best 20 minutes of the whole week! I can feel the heartburn lurking, but it's nowhere near as bad. Even if it comes back soon, it worked for a while :o

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Penny31 · 27/09/2013 12:30

My heartburn was really bad and making me vomit, waking me up very hour. My doc gave me omeprozole too. I would rather not take anything but I was reduced to tears and it was making me so ill I had no choice. I tried a couple of other things from the doctor too. Their main concern was that prescribing som heartburn remedies and cause the uterus to contract!

I hope the omeprozole isn't harming my baby :( I will feel awful.

TobyLerone · 27/09/2013 12:38

Oh, Penny, it won't be.

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greentshirt · 27/09/2013 12:47

Can you add some gaviscon to a milkshake?!

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